Remembering Cockney Pride in London

Does anyone remember this huge underground pub which used to stretch from Piccadilly Circus/Coventry St. to Jermyn St.?

I got introduced to it by a British photographer from Farnham who worked for my hometown newspaper in Wolfsburg/Germany at the time.

Since then, I returned to Cockney Pride whenever I was in London (and while the pub was still around).
I particularly liked the fact that, despite the touristy location, Cockney Pride seemed to attract both Londoners and travellers.

My favourite Cockney Pride memory is an evening which involved a singing competition between British and Swedish soccer fans. In one corner of the main hall (which faced Jermyn St.) the Brits started singing their team’s anthem. Close by Swedish fans countered by trying to sing their anthem with an even higher volume than the Brits. This happened shortly before the „Last Orders“ call – you can imagine how the singing teams‘ volume increased by 11 p.m.!

[I wrote this under the influence of various songs by my favourite British pub rock duo Chas ’n‘ Dave. Some of their songs are available for download at emusic – here’s C&D’s main page at emusic.]

Hi there, I spent every night at the Cockney Pride during spring 1987, there was a rock band playing every night, and my strongest impression and memory of this lovely local-feeling spot, was the old man with the stick, who was also there every night, dancing and enjoying the music like he was 20, on my last trip to London, which must have been summer of 1988, passed by the Cockney Pride as they were just removing the large round sign from above the back door? I asked if I could have it, and the craftsmen said yes, then I met an old friend who said, leave it in the corner there and we pick it up later, guess if it was still there on my return… nope.. I lived in Sweden at the time, and this was during my first week of a months back-packing, so, it would have been a hassle to bring it with me all way around, and back home, but believe me, amongst the few things i regret i didn’t hold on to, is this sign… loved the place! Annika

it was my first month in London in a damn cold december 1984 as a young Italian i was wonderin around the west end with no money and no idea where to go when I heard loud chanting coming from the downstair, that night I discovered the most amazing Pub of all, „The Cockney Pride“ old chaps and lads young people and foreigners like me all togheter singing a world war II song..“A long march to tipperary“ since than i was in love and returned so many times..I had planned to stay six months and stayed 10 yrs, now I’m 53 and when memories go to those old days, well i have sore throat so much is the nostalghia…

A bunch of Oxford House College foreign students (Frenchs, Germans, Italians, Austrians and myself an Ecuadorian chap) went out a night in February of 88 for pints and hit the place that someone in the group knew in anticipation. Ohh what a night!!!, we boozed, chat, roared and danced to the live rock band downstairs. I got a nice German classmate which I liked a lot and we ended the night banging our heads unplugged.

I used to go to The Cockney Pride almost every Sunday evening while living in London in 1986 with my nanny friends. There was always a friendly atmosphere and I loved singing along to the good old cockney songs with the band.

I went many times to the Cockney Pride in the early 80’s. I particularly liked the piano player, who used to greet the foreigners who were regulars in the pub by playing a song from their countries :-)
I have many fond memories of the place…